Leafs still searching for answers in their own zone

TORONTO -- On a team whose identity is slowly coming into focus, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defence is still a step behind.

The Maple Leafs possess speed and offensive ability in spades, but haven't clicked yet on the back end. Toronto is currently last in the NHL in shots against per game (34.3) and is giving up the second-most goals per game (3.60).

“As a defensive corps, we’re not happy with where we’re at,” Connor Carrick said. “You take it very personally every year. We’re a defensive group and pucks are going in the net. It’s our fault. The coaching staff talked with the forwards about helping in the [defensive] scheme, but defensively it’s something where we’re not happy with where we’re at.”

Struggling in the defensive zone is hardly a new problem in Toronto. A season ago, the Maple Leafs averaged 30.6 shots-against through their first 15 games, and finished the year averaging 10th most in the league (30.5). They were also third last in goals-against (246).

Frederik Andersen overcoming his early season issues has kept the team in games, but finding pairings that work in front of him hasn’t been easy for head coach Mike Babcock. After Frank Corrado finally made his season debut in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, he’s tried just about everything.

“I don’t know who hasn’t played with who; I literally don’t know,” said Carrick, who has at times been paired with Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner and Martin Marincin, and skated with Corrado at Monday’s practice. “There’s a reason though. I think if the coaching staff really saw something they fell in love with, they’d probably leave it. So it’s our job to give them what they want, make them happy.”

Those alterations have made the task of finding a rhythm more challenging for the group. Carrick said ideally they want to know each other’s tendencies as a pair to have maximum success, but that takes time and familiarity. And while the defencemen are first to admit they have to step up individually, suppressing the elevated shot totals is a five-man operation.  

“You’ve got to know the structure so you can have clarity of mind in what you’re doing. You can’t be second-guessing,” Carrick said. “You’ve got to defend with authority and be clear-minded. The other four guys on the ice need to be doing their job so the guy that’s under pressure at that moment can do what he’s trying to do.”

While the Maple Leafs give up more shots than any team, they are tied for the league lead in shots for (32.8) and are eighth in goals for per game (2.93). Toronto already has two games in their first 15 where they’ve scored six goals; they had only three with six or more all of last season. A concern is that their offensive prowess doesn’t become a crutch for the defence.

“We don’t want to have to score five or six a night to win and that seems like that’s what’s going on,” said Jake Gardiner, who leads Maple Leafs defenders with a 53.56 Corsi-for percentage. “As a whole defensive corps and team, we need to limit the shots and goals. Defensively we need to get a little better.”

The biggest bright spot for the unit has been the emergence of Nikita Zaitsev, acquired from the KHL in the off-season, on the top pairing with Rielly. The two have developed an easy chemistry and speak highly of each other’s games. Babcock has praised Zaitsev for being better than expected and Rielly for his indomitable work ethic. But the young talents are counter-balanced by elder statesmen Matt Hunwick and Roman Polak, and finding how to get the most from everyone continues to be a priority.

“We have to keep working at it. We’ve talked a lot about it. I thought we’d done a lot of good things, but any time we’ve been fatigued at all, it looks like our mind goes a little bit,” Babcock said. “…We have to get way better defensively. We’ve focused on it a lot, but the message ideally is going to get there and we’ll play better with the puck because we’ll have it more.”